Ribbon-vibrator.



A. C. ROEBUCK.

RIBBON VIBRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25.1914.

1,222,532? Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. C. ROEBUCK.

RIBBON VIBRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1914.

Lmmm, Patented Apr. 10,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NTTE driTFd PATENT ALVAI-I C. ROEIBUCK, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORT0 WOODSTOCK TYPEWRI'IER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS.

RIBBON-VIBRATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. it), 191?.

Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,556.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ALvAH C. RoEBUoK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Woodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Vibra--tors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriters in general and to ribbon vibratorsin particular, and is designed to provide simple, eflicient and durableimprovements in mechanisms of this class.

For the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the featuresof novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of theseveral parts generally shown in the accompanying drawings and describedin the specification, but more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. 7

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typewriter, partly insection, to which this invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a plan view,partly in section, of a portion of the typewriter platen shift frame towhich a ribbon vibrator mechanism is connected;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;Fig. 4 is a detail of the mechanism taken on the line 4.4: of

Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail View taken on the I line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form; and Fig. 7 is asectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

This invention is designed primarily to provide a polychrome attachmentfor a visible typewriter. Provision is made for utilizing the entirewidth of the ribbon by adjusting the vibrator to use any one of a plurality of printing zones on the ribbon. This adjustment of the ribbonvibrator makes it possible to create a plurality of printing zones ineach color section of a polychrome ribbon whereby the entire ribbon maybe utilized.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a typewriter framedesignated generally by the reference numeral 1 is provided with keylevers 2 for operating typebars 3 to move the printing types carriedthereby in contact with a ribbon 4L and making an impression thereby ona platen 5 supported by a reoiprocable carriage 6. A

gage the platen shift frame in the well known manner. The platen shiftframe comprises a shaft 8 and a shift rail 9 connected by end plates 10and pivotally mounted on the axis of the shaft in a support 11constituting a part of the typewriter frame. It is to be understood thatthe shift rail 9 moves up and down about the axis of the shaft 8, asshown in Fig. 3, to effect the shifting of the typewriter carriageframe, in the well known manner. Connecting the shaft 8 and the rail 9intermediate the eX- tremities thereof is a support 12 forming a bearingfor a rotatable shaft 13 which has an eccentric projection 14. A. collar15 holds the shaft 13 in place with respect to the support, and mountedon the shaft is a gear 16. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 13 is afrisket operating lever 17 at the lower end of which a vibrator arm 18is pivotally connected intermediate its ends. To one end of the vibratorarma ribbon frisket 19 is connected and the other end of the arm isformed with a slot 20 in which the eccentric projection 14: engages andis freely movable.

Mounted at one end in the support 12 and adjacent the other end in theend plate 10 is a control shaft 21, the outer end of which preferablyextends to the side of the platen shift frame and is provided with anadjusting nut 22. To the shaft is connected a gear segment 23, the teethof which mesh with the gear 16 so that the rotation of the shaftcontrols the regulation of the throw of the frisket.

Also secured to the shaft 21 is a toothed segment 24:, the teeth ofwhich are engaged by a spring 25 secured to the shaft 8 where by theshaft is resiliently held in any one of a number of different positionsdetermined by the teeth of the segment. The throw of the shaft islimited by means of a cam collar 26 secured to the shaft and aprojection 27 from the end piece 10 which consequent oscillation of theuniversal bar. The oscillation of the universal bar frame moves thefrisket by means of the lever 17 in accordance with its movement, andthe regulation of the throw of the frisket is effected by means of therotation of the shaft 21 and the geared and eccentric connection withthe arm 18, as set forth.

This arrangement may be modified in a variety of ways, one of which isshown by Figs. 6 and 7 in which a support 31 is connected only to theshift rail 9 and forms a bearing for one end of a shaft 32 which extendsthrough the end plate 10 with a nut at the outer end as before. Thelever 17 is mounted directly upon the shaft 32 and the shaft is formedwith an eccentric projection 33 which engages the slot 20 of the arm 18,as before explained. A toothed segment 34 having end projections 35 issecured to the shaft 32 and a spring 36 is adapted to engage the teethof the segment 34 to permit the rotation of the shaft to a certainextent limited by the projections at the ends over which the springcannot ride because of the engagement of the free end thereof with theplate 10 to which it is connected.

With this construction the regulation of the throw of the frisket iseasily varied, the construction is simple and efficient, and thecontrolling shaft is carried bodily up and down with the movement of theplaten shift frame. It is obvious, of course, that others may makevarious changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of theseveral parts without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ribbon vibrator, a pivoted platen shift frame, an oscillatableribbon frisket supported thereby, an eccentric rotatable in the framefor varying the position of the frisket, a pinion connected to theeccentric, and a rotatable toothed segment meshing with the pinion torotate it.

2. In a ribbon vibrator, a pivoted shift frame, a shaft extendingparallel with the axis of the frame, a gear segment fixed on the shaft,a ribbon frisket connected for operation to said segment, and a knob atthe end of the shaft for rotating it.

3. In a ribbon vibrator, a shift frame comprising two bars about one ofwhich the frame is pivoted, the other constituting a shift rail, a shaftmounted in the frame parallel with said bars, a ribbon frisket supportedby the frame and oscillated with it, a gear connection between the innerend of said shaft and the ribbon frisket for varying the position of thelatter, and a knurled extremity at the other end of the shaft protrudingfrom the side of the frame by means of which the position of the frisketis varied.

l. In a ribbon vibrator, a shift frame having parallel bars about one ofwhich the frame is pivoted, a ribbon frisket supported by the frameintermediate the ends thereof, eccentric means for varying the positionof the frisket with respect to the frame, a pinion connected to saidmeans, a shaft extending parallel with said bars and mounted in theframe, a toothed segment engaging the pinion, a knurled head forrotating the shaft, and means for holding the. shaft in any rotatedposition, comprising a toothed member secured to the shaft.

5. In a ribbon vibrator, a pivoted shift frame, a ribbon frisketsupported thereby, an eccentric rotatable in the frame for varying theposition of the frisket, a pinion connected to the eccentric, a gearsegment meshing with the pinion, a shaft to which the segment issecured, the shaft being rotatable in the frame, a stop projecting inthe frame adjacent the shaft, and a collar securable to the shaft havinga flattened portion engageable by the said stop to limit the rotation ofthe shaft in both directions.

6. In a ribbon vibrator, a shift frame comprising two parallel barsabout one of which the frame is pivoted, the other constituting a shiftrail, a ribbon frisket supported intermediate the ends of the frame, ashaft rotatable in the frame having one end adjacent the frisket and theother end projecting beyond one end of the frame, and means connectingthe shaft and the frisket comprising a rotatable member with aneccentric projection for varying the position of the frisket when theshaft is rotated.

7. The combination with a pivoted shift .frame and an oscillatableuniversal bar frame, of a ribbon frisket and an arm therefor supportedby the shift frame, means attached both to the shift and universal barframes for engaging the arm and oscillating the frisket, and means inconnection with the shift frame for varying the position of the frisketcomprising a rotatable eccentric for engaging said arm, and meansoperable from the side of the shift frame for rotating said eccentric.

8. The combination with a pivoted platen frame, of a ribbon frisketpivotally supported. thereby, a control carried by the frame forregulating the throw of the frisket including a rotatable shaft parallelwith the frame and rotatable from the side thereof, and a gearedeccentric adjustment between the rotatable shaft and the frisket.

9. The combination with a pivoted platen shift frame, of a ribbonfrisket pivotally supported thereby, a control carried entirely by theframe for regulating the throw of the frisket including a rotatableshaft extending to one side of the frame, an eccentric adjustment withthe ribbon frisket, and a gear connection between the eccentricadjustment and the shaft for controlling the position of the frisket.

10. In a ribbon vibrator, a pivoted platen shift frame, a ribbon frisketpivotally supported thereby, a gear segment connected to the frisket foroperating it, and a rotatable shaft parallel with the axis of the framesecured to the segment and having one end extending to the side of theframe for rotating the shaft.

11. A typewriter ribbon vibrator compris ing a pivotedplaten shiftframe, a ribbon frisket, an arm pivotally connected to the frame forsupporting the frislret, means mounted in the frame for regulating thethrow of the frisket comprising a rotatable shaft with an eccentricprojection for engaging the arm, a control shaft parallel with the axisof the frame having one end which extends and is rotatable from the sidethereof, a geared connection between the control shaft and the othershaft for varying the position of the eccentric projection, and meansfor holding the control shaft in any desired position.

12. In a ribbon vibrator, the combination with a lever, of a shaft onwhich the lever is pivoted, an oscillatable arm pivoted to the lever, aneccentric connection between the arm and the shaft, means foroscillating said lever about said shaft, means for imparting motion tothe shaft for adjusting said eccentric connection to change the initialposition of the arm, and a pivoted platen shift frame upon which all ofthe said parts are bodily carried and with which they are movable.

18. In a ribbon vibrator, the combination with a primary shaft, of asecondary shaft parallel ther to, a rack and pinion connection betweensaid shafts, an eccentric operated by one of the shafts, a pivoted armengaged by the eccentric for positively moving it in either directionwhereby the rotation of the shafts will adjust the osition of said arm,and a pivoted platen shift frame upon which all of said parts aremounted and with which they are bodily movable.

14 In a ribbon vibrator, the combination with a pivoted platenshiftframe, of a rotatable member carried thereby, a lever pivoted on saidmember, an oscillatable arm pivoted on the lever, an eccentricconnection between said member and said arm, means for oscillating thelever about the member, a controlling shaft also mounted in the shiftframe parallel with the axis thereof with one end projecting from theside of the frame by which it is manually rotated, and a rack and pinionconnection between the shaft and said member for adjusting the eccentricconnection independent of the lever to which it is pivoted.

15. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with a reciprocableuniversal bar, of a pivoted platen shift frame, a lever pivoted in theshift frame and connected at one end of the universal bar, a ribbonvibrator arm pivotally connected to the other end of the lever, a ribbonfrisket connected to the arm, an adjusting shaft mounted in the shiftframe parallel with the axis thereof and extending to one side of theframe, and means comprising an eccentric connection between the shaftand the arm for controliing the initial position of the frisket.

16. A typewriter ribbon vibrator comprising a platen shift frame, aribbon frisket, an arm pivotally connected to the frame for supportingthe frisket, means for regulating the throw of the frisket comprising arotatable shaft with an eccentric pro jection for engaging the arm, acontrol shaft carried by the frame, one end of which extends from theside thereof, a geared connection between the shafts for controlling theregulation of the eccentric projection, resilient means for holding thecontrol shaft in any one of a number of different positions, and meansin connection with the control shaft and the frame for limiting therotation in either direction.

17. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with anoscillatable platen shift frame, an arm pivotally connected intermediateits ends with the frame having a slot adjacent one end, a ribbon frisketconnected with the other end, a rotatable pin having an eccentricprojection to engage in the slot of the arm for regulating the throw ofthe frisket, a shaft carried by and movable with the frame having oneend projecting from the side thereof, a gear in connection with the saidpin, a segment secured to the shaft adapted to mesh with the gear, atoothed member mounted on the shaft, a spring secured to the frameadapted to engage in the teeth of the said member, a collar having a camsurface secured to the shaft, and a projection on the frame adapted toengage the cam surface to limit the movement of the shaft ineitherdirection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 16th day of April A. D.1914.

ALVAI-I C. ROEBUCK.

Witnesses:

Ii. Housnononn, J. T. SWAHLSTEDT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents,

. Washington, 13.0.

